What 'health & well-being' covers: Health and well-being is part of the theme Identities. You need vocabulary to talk about diet, sleep, exercise, stress and physical and mental health — and to give your opinion about them.
The words below are common English B vocabulary. Treat the list as a glossary: learn each term with its meaning and a synonym, then reuse them in the reading and writing sections.
- health
- the state of being well in body and mind
- well-being
- a state of being comfortable, healthy and happy
- diet / eating habits
- what and how a person usually eats
- a balanced diet
- a diet with the right mix of foods, nothing overdone
- to exercise / to work out
- to do physical activity to stay healthy
- sleep / to sleep well
- the rest you get at night; to rest fully
- to be / keep fit
- to be in good physical condition
- mental health
- the state of your emotions, mind and mood
- stress — stressed
- pressure and worry — feeling that pressure
- fast food / junk food
- quick, processed food that is often unhealthy
- to look after yourself
- to take care of your own health and needs
- healthy habits
- regular actions that are good for your health
- in the fresh air / outdoors
- outside, in the open air
| Useful expression | What it means |
|---|---|
| I try to eat a balanced diet. | I make an effort to eat a healthy mix of foods. |
| I exercise to keep fit. | I work out so I stay in good shape. |
| Sleeping well is essential for your health. | Good sleep matters as much as diet and exercise. |
| I look after my mental health as much as my body. | I care for my mind, not only my physical fitness. |
| I eat too much fast food. | I have more processed, unhealthy food than I should. |
Why this matters: This vocabulary turns up in every skill — a reading text on diet or sleep, a listening interview about routines, a Paper 1 article on health, or your oral. Reusing precise topic words is how you score Criterion A (Language).
Have something to say: Examiners reward developed ideas, not just vocabulary. Around health, the common debates are: fast food and diet, the importance of sleep, exercise and the outdoors, and looking after your mental health, not only the body. Take a position and back it up.
Opinion phrases (use these to introduce a view)
- In my opinion… / From my point of view… — to introduce what you think
- It seems to me that… / I believe that… — a slightly softer way to give a view
- The most important thing is… — to highlight your main point
- On the one hand… on the other hand… — to weigh up two sides
- I (completely) agree that… / I'm not convinced that… — to react to an idea
Bad habits (drawbacks)
- Many people eat fast food and don't sleep enough.
- Stress harms your mental health.
- A sedentary life drains your energy.
Healthy habits (benefits)
- A balanced diet gives you more energy.
- Sleeping well improves concentration and mood.
- Exercising outdoors reduces stress.
Link your ideas: Connectors lift your answer from a list into an argument: moreover (to add), however (to contrast), therefore (to conclude), although (to concede). Use at least two or three in any written answer.
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Read like Paper 2: Here is a short blog post — the kind of text Paper 2 (Reading) gives you. Read it once just for the general idea; don't worry about every word. Then we'll work through one exam question together.
Small habits, more energy: Since I started upper secondary school, I had been sleeping very little: I studied until very late and the next day I was exhausted and couldn't concentrate in class.
Then my doctor explained to me that sleep is just as important as food or exercise. Now I try to go to bed before eleven and I have fruit and oats for breakfast instead of pastries. I also go out for a half-hour walk in the fresh air every afternoon. I haven't changed my life all at once, but with these small habits I feel more energetic and in a better mood.
- exhausted
- completely tired out; worn out
- to concentrate
- to focus your attention on something
- oats
- a healthy breakfast grain (porridge is made from it)
- all at once
- suddenly, in one go
- to be in a good/bad mood
- to feel happy/cheerful or upset/irritable
IB-style task — one Paper 2 question
One question, step by step
- The question — "According to the text, what does the writer have for breakfast now?"
- Find it in the text. Look for the word "breakfast": "Now I try to go to bed before eleven and I have fruit and oats for breakfast instead of pastries."
- The answer — Fruit and oats (instead of pastries). The words are right there in the text, so no outside knowledge is needed.
Reading technique: For an "according to the text" question, find the exact line that proves your answer — don't rely on memory or general knowledge.
The task: Your school is running a health week. Write a blog post for other students: describe your health habits and give advice for looking after body and mind.
Use an informal, friendly register. Write 250–400 words.
Blog structure — 5 steps
1
Catchy title
A title, often a question. "Do you get enough sleep?"
2
Greeting + topic
Greet the reader and say what the post is about. "Hi everyone! Today I want to talk about…"
3
Your experience
Describe your old habits in the past. "I used to sleep very little…"
4
Two or three tips
Give advice using imperatives. "Sleep eight hours", "look after what you eat", "go out for a walk".
5
Motivating close
Finish with an encouraging line. "Try one small change — you'll feel better."
Title → Greeting → Experience → Tips → Close
Model: the 5 steps in action
The blog post, step by step
- Do you get enough sleep? I didn't — until I found out what was happening to me.
- Hi everyone! I'm Lucy, and today I want to talk about something that affects our health: rest.
- I used to sleep very little, ate a lot of fast food and almost never exercised. I was always tired and in a bad mood.
- So here are three tips. First, sleep at least eight hours. Second, look after what you eat and have more fruit and vegetables. And third, go out for a walk in the fresh air every day.
- The most important thing, though, is not to obsess over it. Looking after your health is really about balance. Try one small change this week and you'll feel so much better.
Why it scores: This answer hits all three Paper 1 criteria — here's what earns each one:
A — Language /12
- Range of tenses: past "I used to", imperatives "sleep", "look after"
- Connectors: "so", "though", "first/second/third"
- Topic vocabulary, used accurately
B — Message /12
- Task fully done: describes health habits AND gives advice
- Ideas developed with concrete examples
C — Conceptual /6
- Blog conventions: a catchy title
- Direct address: "Hi everyone", "you'll feel better"
- A persuasive, personal tone
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How listening is tested: Paper 2 also tests listening: you hear short clips, each played twice, and you never see the words. Read the questions first, listen for the key idea, then answer.
Here we'll use a transcript so you can practise the technique on the page. Read the questions, then find the answer in the speaker's words.
Transcript — Sara's healthy habits: Hi, I'm Sara. For a year now I've been taking good care of my health. I eat a balanced diet, with lots of fruit and vegetables, and I almost never have fast food. To stay fit, I cycle to school and play basketball twice a week. To look after my mental health, I try to sleep eight hours and I switch off from my phone before going to bed. For me, the most important thing is the balance between body and mind.
IB-style task — two listening questions
Two questions, step by step
- Q1 — What does Sara do to stay fit? Listen just after "To stay fit": "I cycle to school and play basketball twice a week." That is your answer.
- Q2 — What matters most to her? She says it at the end: "For me, the most important thing is the balance between body and mind." Answer: balance between body and mind.
Listening technique: Read the questions before the clip plays. Each question usually points to one short part of the recording — listen for the words around it, not the whole thing.